ArtsHub speaks to Umberto Clerici, the new Chief Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) as he is deep in preparation for Mahler’s 6th Symphony, one of the highlights of his 2023 season. His first time conducting the Sixth, though he has previously conducted both the First and Fourth Symphonies, he will subsequently conduct the work to glowing reviews.
He tells ArtsHub: ‘This is one of the hardest symphonies that Mahler wrote. I have only played it once in my life, as a cellist, and it is rarely performed. It’s the most autobiographical of his works and it happens to fit perfectly with the idea of “humanity”. And so, to include it in a year where the philosophical theme of humanity is a major focus of my programming was perfect.’
